Chapter 138

{ } denotes Cybertronian speech, NeoCybex

=0=Med Bay

Ratchet relieved the night medic and made the rounds. Both of his mini-con patients were awake and struggling with their freedom. He looked around noting their circumstances, then put in a call. :Ratchet to Bumblebee:

:Bumblebee:

:Bee, can you come and help me with the mini-cons? They're really struggling here:

:On my way:

Ratchet looked at them, both of them watching him fearfully. He walked to the all white con. "You really need to relax. I have an Autobot mini-con coming to help you."

"You're no better than the Decepticons. You'll use us, too," he said.

"We saved you and risked the integrity of a mission to do it," Ratchet said. "We're attempting to rescue a fleeing mini-con village. Hardly the same don't you think?"

"You're tricking us," the blue and white mini-con said. "Tricking us."

"Wait until Bumblebee gets here. He'll help you sort this out," Ratchet said turning to go.

"Bumblebee?"

Ratchet glanced back, regarding the mini-con for a moment. "Yes. Tall, yellow and black, handsome, sweet and fun. That Bumblebee."

"I know him." The white and blue mini-con looked at Ratchet with an intense expression. "They call me Runaway."

Ratchet nodded. "I'm Ratchet, Chief Medical Officer of the Autobot Armed Forces. You're safe here. The Prime is here and he personally ordered your rescue."

Runaway looked at him trying to believe him when Bumblebee walked through the door, Sam Witwicky right behind him. Ratchet moved aside to scoop up Sam, putting him on the usual cabinet where he could chat and watch without being stepped on.

"Hi, Ratchet. What's up?"

"Got some rescues," Ratchet said scanning Sam head to toe. "You appear to be at optimal levels of performance," he replied smirking as they played the game of Computer versus Squishy.

"My hard drive is still functional then?" he asked grinning at the big medic.

"Optimal ranges are go," Ratchet said turning to Bumblebee who had walked to Runaway and gripped his servo. "So, he says he knows you, Bee."

"He does," Bumblebee said looking at Ratchet with his lovely blue optics and his long black lashes "He's from D10, a village near my own." Bee turned to Runaway. {What happened to your village? When we regrouped on Cybertron's moons we knew that you were being hunted by Megatron}

{Where were you guys?} Runaway asked. {We called to you. Leader 1 called to you}

{We heard and we tried to come but you were already gone and the village was destroyed} Bee glanced at the other bot. {Is he from D10, too?}

{No} Runaway said. {He's from D4. We were invaded and a few escaped but the rest of us, me and him included were captured. They retooled us. They enslaved us and made us work for them giving them power beyond what they could have on their own. We were captive for so long I don't even know what's what anymore.} He shuddered as he stared at Bee.

{You're on Earth, a planet where we've regrouped. We have allies, the humans. This is the place where the Allspark landed} Bee said.

Both of them jolted. {You found it? The Allspark?} Runaway said struggling to sit up.

Bee gently pressed him down patting his shoulder. {No. It was unmade when we killed Megatron}

{You … he's dead?} the other mini-con whispered.

{The Allspark transformed entering another to reclaim itself} Bee said to both. He glanced at Sam and held out his servo. Sam with a serious expression on his face stepped into it and sat. Bee held him up. {This is the Allspark transformed}

The two mini-cons looked at him disbelief in their faces. {This is an organic}

{This is our ally, Sam Witwicky. We've forged allegiances with his people and we're fighting back. We have a colony on the fourth planet from here, Autobot City. Refugees are coming there including the mini-con village escaping this way with Autobots. We have a home and safety. We have sparklings being born. The Seekers, Starscream included have surrendered and are living there peacefully. Prime is leading us, Prowl and Prime and Ironhide and the Wreckers, they're all here. We're regrouping and restoring ourselves. No one can enter this entire solar system without being met with force} Bee explained.

They looked at him, then each other, then Bee once more. Sitting up slowly, shaking his helm Runaway looked at him. {You're telling me the truth?}

Bee nodded. {I wouldn't lie to you. Mini-cons forever, right?} Bee smiled.

Runaway looked at him, then smiled slowly. {Mini-cons forever.} he said softly as he bumped his fist with Bee.

Sam who was sitting on Bee's hand watched them talk, enjoying their emerging delight and was glad to be a help. That they were talking in Cybertronian and he couldn't understand a word was secondary. Apparently, Bee was the correct balm. The two mini-cons looked at last like they felt safe.

=0=Ops Center

Prowl got the update walking from Ops Center to Med Bay. Entering, he grinned at Bee and Bee introduced him to the mini-cons. Runaway looked in rather good shape mentally Prowl calculated but the other one was still rather ragged. "Pleased to meet you both," he said.

The white mini-con, a small edgy looking creature was called White Wash. He looked at Prowl with a frown. {I remember you}

Prowl nodded. {I am Second-In-Command of the Autobot Armed Forces and sub commander to the Prime}

(I remember you and Sentinel} he said frowning deeper.

Prowl nodded. {I was his S.I.C. until his death. I am now S.I.C. to Optimus Prime}

{And that's not all I suppose. Not all that I remembered you were to the Prime} White Wash said as his anger long suppressed began coming out. {There was more and I remember it}

Prowl's expression turned to ice then he turned to Ratchet with an optic arching as he shook his head in disgust. {I see they are rallying}

Ratchet who was glowering at the white con nodded. {Just as nasty and spiteful as ever}

White Wash looked at Ratchet. {You don't care about us. You just want us up to speed so you can enslave us, too}

Bumblebee who was mortified and horrified turned from Prowl to them. {You're full of slag. We jeopardized a mission to kill Shockwave to save your sorry afts. Shockwave. We could have left you in the storage bin where he put you but Prime told us to bring you. He said and I quote, "We can't leave them} Bee was furious and he looked at Prowl with shame on his face. {Prowl, I'm sorry}

Prowl looked at Bee with affection. {Not your fault. Don't worry about it}

{I'm sorry anyway} Bee said looking at the two of them with anger. {You need to shape up. The Autobots are the good bots. We saved you and you better be grateful or I'll slam your afts into the wall}

{No you won't} Ratchet said glowering at the bots. {I'd just have to fix them and I might accidentally break something vital. Accidentally}

The two mini-cons shifting in their seats looked at Ratchet with loathing.

Prowl watching with a small amount of personal satisfaction pulled Ratchet to one side. {Your hearing is in three days}

{What?} Ratchet said with surprise. {Three days. Those fraggers}

{You should hear the ruckus in the press. They have been everywhere in the media slagging us from here to Pluto and back. This could be ugly}

{When do they not, Prowl?} Ratchet asked his optics narrowing in outrage. {We'll see. They'll be laying their own traps when they do this and I intend to oblige them}

Prowl nodded then grinned at Bumblebee.

Bee who was pained and embarrassed ruefully grinned back then glared at the two mini-cons.

Ratchet looked at the screens then pulled plugs. "Bee, they can go. I want to put them into a box and send them back to Shockwave but that wouldn't be neighborly would it? Could you take care of them? And make sure no one steps on them, the tiny little fraggers," Ratchet said digging them in the main bone of contention that mini-cons seemed to have with larger bots.

They glowered at him then hopped down to barely come up to Bumblebee's knee assemblies.

Ratchet snorted. {Like having sparklings running around}

The mini-cons glowered up at Ratchet. (We don't need a babysitter}

(The slag you do} Ratchet said. {You're on an Autobot base on an alien world and the last thing we want you two slaggers to do is frag up our treaties with the humans. If we have to stick you in the brig we will. Bumblebee is in charge of you until further notice and I don't want to hear another word}

Ratchet leaned down with one of his famously infamous 'masks of doom' from his Ratchet the Hatchet line firmly in place.

The mini-cons leaning backward nodded.

Bee picking up Sam grinned at Ratchet.

"Take them to the rec room and get them energon, Bee. Make sure they download the English files so they can talk. You're a good son," Ratchet said with a smile. He felt deep empathy at Bee's embarrassment.

Bee who was grinning once more nodded looked down. (Come on. I'll show you around}

They walked past Ironhide as he came in the door then stopped. {That's a sparkling} White Wash said with astonishment.

Ironhide who was unaware of the moments before bent down to show them his sparkling. {Orion. He's called Orion like the Prime}

They looked at him, then the sparkling who was only just THIS much shorter than they were. Then they looked at Ratchet. Then Bee. Then they walked out quietly. Bee who paused long enough to kiss Orion on the helm continued out with a bemused Sam in his hand.

Ironhide walked to Ratchet. "What's with them?"

"Head up their aft disease," Ratchet replied taking his sparkling to coo over him.

"Oh. Usual mini-con malady."

Ratchet grinned. "Yep," he said.

=0=Ops Center

Prime having returned from a video conference meeting at N.E.S.T. HQ with Glenn Morshower walked onto the command deck with a spring in his step. They'd set the snare and the humans were all over the media preparing themselves for entrapment. All the Autobots and their allies had to do was hang on for a month. Pausing beside Prowl, he kissed his helm softly and walked to a chair to sprawl in it with a smile.

"You look happy," Prowl said walking over to stand before him with a slight smile on his face.

"Not a bad few orns. We have Shockwave fooled and we have the enemy building their own gallows. Daniels is back with orders to disrupt. The mole is moling like a good boy and we saved two mini-cons from a life of slavery."

"Those mini-cons are vile," Prowl said shaking his head with disgust.

"What?" Prime asked as he sat up straighter.

Prowl told him the executive version. Prime's attitude shifted as he considered the insult and The Rumor That Wouldn't Die, then he took a moment and his good cheer returned. "I just decided that I cannot let them get to me. If I did I would be punting them right and left."

"Fortunately, Bumblebee puts the lie to their vileness."

"He is a good youngling, that one," Prime agreed. He smirked as he nudged Prowl's ped with his drawing own, drawing a faint smile and a slight optic roll from the taciturn winger. "Where are they? I want to talk to them."

"Ratchet was releasing them into Bee's custody, poor Bee. He's very embarrassed."

"Well, I will go and unembarrass him then," Prime said rising to leave. "I would like to meet with Ratchet over the hearings and I would like you to put together a team to go with him."

Prowl nodded as Prime leaned down to drop a kiss on his lips. Then he walked out leaving Prowl slack jawed behind him.

=0=Rec Room

Prime sat down next to Bumblebee who grinned at him. He made the introductions as Prime nodded to Sam and the two silent mini-cons who were staring at him with no small wariness and fear. Prime looked kindly at them. [Welcome to Diego Garcia]

The two cons staring at him with narrowed optics nodded silently in return.

{What's next?} White Wash asked. {What do you want to do with us next?}

Prime shrugged. [What do you want to do? What skills do you possess?}

{Besides power linking?} White Wash asked an edge to his vocals.

[Ratchet ripped that all out of you and put you back together. What did you do before this and what could you do if you wanted to do something helpful and useful?} Prime persisted.

They stared at him a moment, then shrugged. {I was a maintenance manager of our village} White Wash replied.

{I was a defensive engineer} Runaway said.

{We have a colony on Mars, next planet over that way} Prime said jerking his thumb digit to the side. {If you wish you can be out of here on the next flight and established there. Skills are needed and there is plenty of work. Ultra Magnus is the city manager and the main Autobot garrison protects it and the refugees that live there. We have more coming including an as yet unidentified mini-con village}

They looked at each other, then Prime. {We would probably be happier there} Runaway said. {Magnus ... he won't boss us around? Like the Decepticons? We can walk around and do things, too?}

Prime nodded with a kindly expression. {We have laws and rules you have to obey and if there ever is an attack and there has not been so far, you would be subject to those regulations as well along with everyone else including the many civilians that live there. We also have Seekers and they are model citizens. We expect that you will be also}

Runaway nodded.

White Wash frowned. {Seekers … I remember them. They shot up my village. Why do you let Seekers live there?}

{Because at the root of everything we are all Cybertronians. We are an endangered species. All of us matter. I do not want you to go there and cause trouble. Everyone gets along. Mostly} He quashed the image of a riot from his processor to focus on the task at hand.

They stared silently at him for a moment as they had an off line conversation. {We would prefer to go there}

Prime glanced at Bee. {Cosmos is due shortly. Have them return to Autobot City with him. I will alert Magnus and have someone waiting to escort them to The Fortress} He looked at the mini-cons as he rose to go. {Good luck and Primus bless you} Then he walked away.

They watched him then looked at Bee. {I don't like the Primes} White Wash said. {They didn't save us. They didn't even try}

{Until now} Bee leaned in angrily. {Wecouldn't save you then. We tried. I was there. But Optimus Prime jeopardized a huge mission to save you now. You might want to think about gratitude}

They stared at him, then White Wash shrugged. {And if we don't?} he asked defiantly.

{Don't worry. There's plenty of room in the brig at Autobot City. And you won't be alone. There's two other dumb aft mini-cons already there for being stupid, too} Bee leaned forward. {You might want to know that you're embarrassing all of us with your fraggin' attitude}

White Wash bristling shrugged with defiance. {Tough}

Bee sat back. {Ratchet is right. Small mech syndrome}

The two glared at him silently.

Sam watched and wondered. He didn't understand a word they were saying but he was enjoying the show.

Before they touched down in Autobot City they would have downloaded every language file from Earth that was possible.

Chapter 138

=0=Conference Room off Ops Center, Diego Garcia

They sat together, the senior Autobot officers and went over every sort of question that could come up and peppered Ratchet with them. He sat in his seat with Orion sleeping in his arms and calmly, usually, answered them. The soldiers and their strategists came as well and added their questions, conundrums, dueling points and personal attacks to the mix.

On the walls around the room with the audio muted, their enemies and their allies in the media and government were pounding the airways to get across their point: Autobots bad, Decepticons go away if they go. Polls overnight in major markets had shown that it was making headway in certain demographics.

Prowl then explained them to everyone in his own 'Prowl' manner.

"So what you're saying is … we don't have a friend in the dumb aft segment of public opinion," Ratchet said smirking slightly. "All of the square heads, bad spellers, nitwits, mouth breathers and wife beaters want us gone?"

Prowl smiling broadly for a second nodded. "Just about."

"But if we had to get up a posse we could rely on book readers, college graduates, younglings, most minorities, anyone who isn't an investment banker, lepers, computer nerds, car fanciers, hemp farmers, librarians, worker bees who like our makes and models though it would take millennia with current wages to own one, the disaffected, white collar criminals, motorcycle gangs and vegans."

Orion shifted in his recharge so Ratchet shifted him helping him find a more comfortable position. He looked at Prime and grinned. "I'm trying to care."

Prime grinned back. "So am I."

"If we didn't have Autobot City to fall back on," Jazz said, "we might, actually."

"True," Prime said sitting back to relax. "But I am not going to let anything ruin the inevitable conclusion shining off in the distance."

"When the curtain falls and the reviews come out and say, 'go straight to jail, don't pass go, don't collect $200?" Bumblebee asked as he brought in energon for everyone. They looked at him with interest. "Monopoly. Sam likes it. It's a game."

Pause as relevant data is pulled. Grins all around the table. One rather unusually tall and sweetly dispositioned mini-con relaxes and takes a seat unbidden. Leans against Ratchet and tickles sparkling's ped. Sparkling grins in recharge. Grins all around the table again.

"Where were we?" Prime asked as he put his peds up, put aside the Primal dignity as he didn't really care about it at the moment.

Much.

"I want to talk about the younglings and even this sparkling," Ratchet said.

"That's a good idea," Prime said.

"I think we have to stay on topic, Optimus. We only have one more day to prep," Prowl began.

"I hear that Spirit actually said a word yesterday," Jazz said leaning back to relax into his chair.

"He did," Prime said proudly. "He called me atar."

"Awww," went around the room as everyone began to chat about the younglings. Silverbow was speaking halting Cybertronian words, simple and mostly inflected correctly while T-Bar was riding the bike along with Rambler and they didn't need training wheels. Going out to the tarmac to ride at night with Prime and Prowl helping when the all clear on spies was given had really shortened the learning curve.

TAP! RAP! TAP!

They looked at Ratchet who had a smirk on his face. "I want to talk about them but not that."

"Oh." They sat back to wait.

"I've been going through the news and the stories that make me the angriest are the ones about the younglings. They're using our children like weapons." He thought a moment. "They've even intuited that there's a sparkling."

Everyone glanced at Orion lying quietly in Ratchet's arms. The rapping had awakened him and he was staring at the ceiling sleepily. "They mention that we're ... 'breeding' ... like we were rats. They're also speculating on our interpersonal habits if you know what I mean."

"'Facing," Ironhide said leaning in helpfully.

Everyone snorted and snickered.

Prime leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. "What do you suggest, Ratchet?"

He thought a moment then look at Orion. "I think that what we don't control, we lose. They have made us out to be less than sentient and that we 'breed'. I hate that word. Its mean and mindless and creates the impression that we're 'other' and not knowable in any real way. What we need to do is control what they see and hear and know about us ourselves. Here's what I want to do with the younglings and sparkling."

And he told them.

And they agreed.

Oddly enough.

=0=Later that day

He walked to the hangars to get the air. Beyond them the tarmac was dotted with incredible jets and humongous cargo planes. Smaller and larger mixed together, the largest of all was Silverbolt. He was over 240 feet long with a beautiful red, gray, white and yellow design scheme when in root mode. The basic white was detailed with the other colors and his Autobot insignia he proudly wore on his side. He was beautiful.

Inside Man loved to come and look at the planes, their sheer grace and beauty coupled with the idea that they were sentient drew him almost every day. He walked past a jet that he knew to be Sky Dive. Pausing, he patted it. A shimmer of electrical energy greeted him and he smiled wider as he patted him again. Moving onward, he walked around Silverbolt looking him over with admiration. As he did, the ships discussed him amongst themselves.

:I do believe you have an admirer: Sky Dive said snickering softly.

:He comes every day to look at us. I wish I didn't want to step on him: Silverbolt replied. :He has excellent taste in aviation:

:You might want to let Prime know that you'll fly him to prison when the whole mess becomes public:

Silverbolt snorted. :I have dibs?:

A pause as Sky Dive accessed appropriate language files. :You have them: he replied with a smile.

They chatted together keeping their conversation to themselves as Cosmos was recharging nearby. The mole walked all around them admiring them and when he left the information was sent to Prowl. The sun rose higher and the Aerialbots and Cosmos soaked it all in before heading off into the darkness of space once more.

=0=In a room

They stripped the room of furniture leaving only a small table and a couple of chairs. They had draped fabric over all of the furnishings and made sure that the background was bare and a clean white. Then one by one, they brought the children into the room, sitting and standing them here and there, posing them with and without their favorite toys. The cameras fed the images directly into the computers and a handful of senior Autobots stood around the screen reviewing them, choosing some and consigning others to personal rather than the ambassadorial files that Ratchet was going to use.

They took dozens of them and organized them into groups allowing easier access and choice if the time came to show them. Ratchet was pleased and watched as Ironhide posed their little sparkling, setting him this way and that, allowing for his 'good side' whatever that was. To Ratchet and Ironhide every side of Orion was his good side.

Sunstreaker who was art director for the shoot was gentle and careful as he moved the younglings and sparklings here and there getting them to stand in the most photographically impressive poses. They all knew and loved him, especially Silverbow and they did what they were asked, even Orion.

When it was done they had over 200 photos, some perfection, some sweet and funny, some detailed to their various genitors for personal mementos. They were added to the files for Ratchet to use and he would have the call on what to show and when.

For Ratchet, it was about fraggin' time.

=0=Mercs

The mercs were everywhere. One could almost trip over them. They were jogging and walking, using the firing range and obstacle course and they were aggressive about it. Everyone had been warned and they'd kept away forcing the mercs to come closer to the Embassy as they worked their hardest to provoke an incident.

Tim Bolton had taken to sitting on the bench outside the Embassy waiting for someone to raise a fuss. But no one did.

Seth Thomas drove around in a hummer with the top removed. It was hot and sunny and he often went to the beach to watch for Autobots to arrive. One day he and Tim Bolton struck pay dirt.

Silverbow stood in the water spooning it into her pink bucket with a pink shovel. Trailbreaker who was off duty with Hound for the first time in a decaorn lay stretched out on the beach with a holo-novel in his servos and his helm resting on Hound's leg. Silverbow had asked to come pointing to the sea with her tiny hand and clicking the sparkling word for 'go'.

Liberating her and Spirit from the daycare room, they walked down to their favorite beach spot as each carried a child on their shoulders. Spirit and Silverbow had become best friends. It had been warm with a mild breeze, the beach was empty of occupation and it was a lovely moment.

Then they heard an engine roaring farther up the beach coming toward them swiftly. Sitting up quickly to look down the sandy stretch, Trailbreaker took it all in with horror. A vehicle was coming straight for them and the children who were walking back to their guardians froze in place to look at the hummer as it careened toward them.

Trailbreaker and Hound, each rising as fast as they could leaped forward to throw themselves toward the infants to tackle them and fall into the water. As they did the hummer clipped Hound's ped spinning him in the air. He fell backwards into the water with Spirit safely in his arms and they both went under falling into the waves to disappear.

Trailbreaker rose up drenched as water fell out of his frame like a water fall. He held a wailing Silverbow in his arms as he looked at the disappearing hummer. He pulled a gun from subspace, aimed and fired to hit the hummer in the back end before it rose over a hillock and drove away. Hound who rising slowly to stand in an agony of pain held a silently traumatized Spirit tightly in his arms.

:Trailbreaker to Prowl!:

:Prowl here:

:Someone just tried to kill the children!:

There was no response because Prowl was running frantically out of the Embassy pulling his weapon from subspace as he went. Behind him following without a clue but following none the less, Jazz, Bumblebee and Blaster ran with weapons in hand. On the tarmac catching a view of the group running to the beach, Optimus Prime began to run, too. Out of the door behind him with a look of shock and horror on his face, Ratchet ran with a med kit in his servos.

Lennox and Epps who were walking with Prime watched him go with the others, then began to run too. Passing them unnoticed, a damaged Hummer drove by with two shaken but satisfied mercs.

Tim Bolton and Seth Thomas had provoked.

=0=On their way

Prowl had jumped the fence, landing to run without missing a beat. Jazz and Bumblebee followed, then Blaster. They ran for the group huddled on the ground as Prowl slid to a halt then fell to his knees as he frantically assessed the two shivering crying younglings. Taking Spirit to hand him to Bumblebee, then moving toward Hound, Prowl saw that his foot was crushed. Looking up the beach he saw Prime running with Ratchet and the two soldiers following.

They gathered around as Ratchet knelt gently assessing Hound's foot. He lay back in agony relaxing only after Ratchet gave him a pain killer. "What happened?" Ratchet asked, his voice quivering with tension. "Someone tried to kill these sparklings?"

Trailbreaker seething with rage nodded. He looked at Prime who had taken Spirit into his arms and was holding and patting him as he cried. "Someone drove straight at us. Hound and I were over there," he said pointing to their spot a distance away. "The younglings were playing in the water and had just started to come back after Hound called them. That's when we looked up and saw a hummer driving straight at them. We both jumped up and leaped for them, falling into the water together. Hound got clipped by the hummer." Trailbreaker was incandescent with fury. "They tried to kill our sparklings. Our little infants."

Everyone was quiet as they listened, stunned by the event including the soldiers who.

"Did you see who it was?" Lennox asked.

"I didn't," Trailbreaker said. "I just jumped for the babies. I pulled my gun and fired at him. I don't know if I got a hit. I was too shaken and I'd fallen in the water with Spirit. We both did. The babies were drowned, too."

Prowl rose then turned to Prime. "I want this person found, Optimus. I want them found and punished or I'm going to go looking for them myself."

Prime stared at Prowl then handed him Spirit who clung to Prowl in terror. "I will find him myself, Prowl," Prime said quietly. "I promise you that I will."

=0=Med Bay

Ironhide sat on a med berth as Ratchet repaired Hound's foot. Trailbreaker stood nearby holding Silverbow, the tiny femme clinging to him. She unwilling to let go to be dried off and cleaned up. He swayed gently, an unreadable expression on his face but Ironhide felt his anger. All of them did. The Embassy was in lock down and everyone was waiting for Prime to come back from the Army Administration Building.

A hummer had been found with a plasma hole blown into its rear tailgate. It had been abandoned in a tidal pool erasing any trace of evidence that might be found about the driver. It'd been taken earlier from the motor pool. No one had signed it out and no one had seen it taken. It was just stolen.

Prime had faced off with Daniels telling him forcefully that if any of his mercs fell within the parameters of the Embassy they would be arrested. He also told him that armed guards with orders to shoot would accompany any Autobot or Autobot child that went to the beach or to any other public space on base. It was a cold and dangerous moment in the hangar as Prime laid down the smack.

Daniels for his part listened impassively, giving away nothing nor agreeing to anything. What he didn't know is that Prime knew that Shockwave aka Onda de Choque had asked them to provoke. What Prime hadn't considered was that they would take on their young.

That was never going to happen again.

=0=Ironhide

He walked around the Embassy, a steady route inside and out and would continue constantly through the night and into the morning with his cannons prominently on display for anyone that would be looking. Orion was with his Prowl, Prowl was with Sunstreaker and all was tense and quiet in the tightly packed world of the Autobot Embassy.

Ratchet had considered letting his new prank go but after the event he decided that it would be a great antidote to the anger and fear that had enveloped them in the wink of an eye. So he arranged for an empty room in the back of Med Bay and brought some of the equipment that would be needed. They would do the deed and then the next day when the senior Autobots met, when he would see Ironhide again after his night security shift he would bask in the fun and help everyone else as well.

Smirking, he walked down to the room with the last bit of stuff and his sparkling in his arm. Somewhere in or around the facility the Chaos Bringer, the Doom Master, the Hulking Autobot Avenging Beast of Every Mercenary Fraggers' Worst Nightmares made his silent awesome presence known.

=0=Merc Barracks

Daniels sat on the back patio with Tim Bolton. They shared a beer and a laugh together, this latest provocation a delight to the callow young man. Bolton who was enjoying the bonus that would be placed in his account by Daniels' father clinked his beer with Daniels. Then they sat and talked about football.

Nearby silently, invisibly, Mirage recorded all of their despicable conversations, their remarks over the attack and the payoff information. As he recorded it he sent it to Prowl in Ops Center who played and replayed it before storing it into Ratchet's Senate hearing files. The anger he felt was almost more than anything he'd ever known in a lifetime of angry moments and if he had to sit there all night collating data as it came in he was prepared to do it.

=0=In Med Bay with Sunstreaker

They stood in the back as Sunny got his things together as Ratchet waited patiently. He was reviewing the drawing Sunstreaker had made up from Ratchet's description. "You do good work, Sunstreaker. You're quite the artist." He looked at Sunstreaker and smiled. "I appreciate you doing this for me."

He grinned as he glanced up stirring paint as he did. "This is an awesome prank."

Ratchet grinned. "I think so. You have to keep him on his toes, our Ironhide."

Sunstreaker nodded as he looked down at the floor with an almost savage expression. "Ratchet ..."

Ratchet looked at Sunstreaker. "What, Sunny?" he asked softly.

Nearby waving his little arms, Orion lay chirping to himself. The room was empty but for the three of them. It was quiet and peaceful.

"Ratchet, I wish you were my genitor," he said looking up at Ratchet with an unreadable expression. "You and Ironhide. Even Hide."

Ratchet looked at him and as he did Sunstreaker looked away, staring at the paint he was mixing. Ratchet reached out to take hold of Sunny's chin to raise his face up. "Consider it done, Sunstreaker," he replied quietly. "I'd be honored."

For a moment Sunstreaker looked at him with dark emotional optics, then he smiled, a large open and genuine smile. It was a beautiful effect as he sat straighter with noticeable relief.

Ratchet grinned. "I mean it, Sunny. Tell that brother of yours, too."

He looked up. "I know. I will."

"Good." Ratchet said as Sunstreaker rose to attach the paint pot to the machine sprayer. "You do know that this means more grandparents."

Sunstreaker snorted. "That's alright."

"Remember that when Prowl and I are fighting over your sparkling," Ratchet said raising an arm.

Sunstreaker laughed out loud, then smiled at Ratchet fondly. "I will."

Then they began Operation Frag With The Mom Van in earnest.